8 Big Things That Happened at 2026 Welcome to Rockville Festival

The 2026 Welcome to Rockville festival is in the books, leaving music lovers with plenty of memorable moments.

Over the four-day music weekend, we saw song debuts, first-time performances, tributes to legends, new band member debuts, old band member reunions and quite a bit more.

Join us as we run down eight big moments from Welcome to Rockville 2026.

Guns N’ Roses Continue Their Ozzy Appreciation

One of the big weekend highlights was the Thursday (May 7) headlining set of Guns N’ Roses at Welcome to Rockville. The band played an epic 25-song performance (per Setlist.fm) that included a fair share of cover songs, including one that paid homage to the late Ozzy Osbourne.

Though they played the track 10 times last year, Welcome to Rockville marked the 2026 tour debut of GN’R’s Black Sabbath cover, “Never Say Die.” At the top of the song, Axl Rose simply shared, “This is a song we’ll do as a dedication. If you know this song and you’ve heard us do it, you’ll know who that dedication’s to.”

As the band ripped through the song, images of the late Osbourne popped up behind the band. At the end of the song, Rose acknowledged that the performance was “for Ozzy.”

READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses Cover Rare Sex Pistols Song Live for the First Time

Amid staples such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “It’s So Easy,” “Don’t Cry,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “November Rain” and “Paradise City,” Guns N’ Roses traversed covers of the aforementioned Black Sabbath, Wings (“Live and Let Die”), Velvet Revolver (“Slither”), Jimmy Webb (“Wichita Lineman”), Bob Dylan (“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”) and Misfits (“Attitude”).

See the full setlist and fan shot video below.

Guns N’ Roses 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 7, 2026)

1. “Welcome to the Jungle”
2. “Bad Obsession”
3. “Mr. Brownstone”
4. “It’s So Easy”
5. “Chinese Democracy”
6. “Live and Let Die” (Wings cover)
7. “Yesterdays”
8. “Never Say Die” (Black Sabbath cover)
9. “Shadow of Your Love”
10. “Double Jive Talkin'”
11. “Estranged”
12. “Pretty Tied Up”
13. “Civil War”
14. “Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)
15. “Rocket Queen”
16. “Wichita Lineman” (Jimmy Webb cover)
17. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan cover)
18. “Attitude” (Misfits cover)
19. “Don’t Cry”
20. Slash guitar solo
21. “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
22. “Nothin'”
23. “November Rain”
24. “Nightrain”
25. “Paradise City”

Guns N’ Roses, “Never Say Die” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

A Day to Remember Double Down + Pop Up at Welcome to Rockville

While fans were surely psyched about catching Florida’s own A Day to Remember at Welcome to Rockville, it probably came as a surprise how much they saw of them over the weekend. The band added a second pop-up set on a makeshift stage on Saturday (May 9) for a brief performance that featured several rarities.

The six-song set (per Setlist.fm) featured the tour debuts of “The Danger in Starting a Fire” and “A Shot in the Dark,” while “Fast Forward to 2012,” “Speak of the Devil” and “Show ‘Em the Ropes” returned to the band’s sets for the first times since 2019, 2018 and 2018, respectively.

“We haven’t played these songs since back right after we graduated high school,” lead singer Jeremy McKinnon told the audience while introducing the 2007 track ‘The Danger in Starting a Fire.” He then added, “Jump up on top of somebody. Have a good [expletive] time.”

The chaotic performance found the band playing while skateboarders performed tricks on ramps behind them and the audience erupted into circle pits and crowd surfing. See some fan-shot footage below.

A Day to Remember Welcome to Rockville Pop-Up Show

After the Saturday pop-up show, A Day to Remember returned to the stage on Sunday (May 10) for their regularly scheduled performance, delivering a more standard set (per Setlist.fm) that included a cover of Marshmello’s “Rescue Me.”

Breaking Benjamin Debut New Single at Welcome to Rockville

One of the highlights of the weekend came Saturday (May 9) when Breaking Benjamin broke one of their own rules debuted a new song.

“I never wanna play a new song or a new single until it’s out on the record or it’s out on the radio, but tonight we’re gonna play it,” singer Ben Burnley told the crowd. “Right now, this is our new single. It’s called ‘Something Wicked.'”

Breaking Benjamin released their most recent studio album, Ember, in 2018. (They followed it with 2020’s Aurora, which featured reimagined versions of past hits.) They’re been reportedly working on a new album, but details have not been announced yet. Following its live debut at Welcome to Rockville, “Something Wicked” is now available to pre-save on streaming services.

The band’s 14-song Welcome to Rockville set was notable for other reasons as well. It marked the live debut of drummer Brian Medeiros, who is taking over behind the kit while Shaun Foist continues to battle Hashimoto’s disease. The band employed Asking Alexandria‘s James Cassells as their initial replacement, but Medeiros — whose credits include RED and Otherwise — will be handling drums moving forward.

The festival setting also gave singer Burnley the chance to revisit his “Dear Agony” duet with Flyleaf‘s Lacey Sturm. Check out the setlist (per Setlist.fm) and see fan shot video of “Something Wicked” below.

Breaking Benjamin 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 9, 2026)

1. “I Will Not Bow”
2. “Until the End”
3. “Crawl”
4. “Red Cold River”
5. “Blow Me Away” (with Master Chief)
6. “Follow”
7. “So Cold”
8. “Something Wicked” (Live Debut)
9. “Dear Agony” (with Lacey Sturm)
10. “Polyamorous”
11. “Breath”
12. “Awaken”
13. “Failure”
14. “The Diary of Jane”

Breaking Benjamin, “Something Wicked” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce Make Their Live Debut With New Co-Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz

DragonForce made their highly anticipated debut with new co-vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, but her singing partner might have come as a surprise to those in attendance.

Just ahead of the performance, the group revealed that singer Marc Hudson has been dealing with ongoing hearing loss and tinnitus issues and is “taking a little break” to aid his long-term health and recovery.

That led Dragonforce to showcase White-Gluz alongside guitarist Billy Wilkins, who had already been handling some backing vocals for the group. Wilkins and White-Gluz shared vocal work during the set and are expected to do the same at their upcoming Sonic Temple performance later this month.

The band rocked through a five-song set (per Setlist.fm) that included the first performance of “Storming the Burning Grounds” since 2013 and their hugely popular closer, “Through the Fire and Flames.” Check out the setlist and see fan-filmed footage below.

DragonForce 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 9, 2026)

1. “Cry Thunder”
2. “Operation Ground and Pound”
3. “Storming the Burning Fields”
4. “Burning Heart”
5. “Through the Fire and Flames”

DragonForce, “Cry Thunder” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce, “Burning Heart” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce, “Through the Fire and Flames” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Godsmack Break In New Drummer at Welcome to Rockville

When Godsmack returned to the stage at Welcome to Rockville on Thursday (May 8), they did so with a new face behind the kit.

Wade Murff made his live debut with the group, taking over for Evanescence’s Will Hunt, who filled in during their 2025 tour. Murff’s credits include stints with Daughtry, Prong, Sebastian Bach and Orgy, among others.

Check out the setlist (per Setlist.fm) and see footage from K Train Productions below.

Godsmack Welcome To Rockville 2026 Setlist (May 8, 2026)

1. “Awake”
2. “Surrender”
3. “Straight Out of Line”
4. “When Legends Rise”
5. “Cryin’ Like a Bitch”
6. “You and I”
7. “Something Different”
8. “Keep Away”
9. “Bulletproof”
10. “Whatever”
11. “I Stand Alone”

Godsmack, “When Legends Rise” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Godsmack, “Cryin’ Like a Bitch” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Nonpoint Welcome Back Former Member for Welcome to Rockville Guest Appearance

The good vibes were flowing for Nonpoint during their blistering Friday (May 8) set at Welcome to Rockville. Fans witnessed a reunion as co-founding bassist Ken MacMillan returned to the stage with them to perform 2005’s To the Pain album opener “Bullet With a Name.”

As singer Elias Soriano told the crowd, this was the first time they had played with MacMillan in 15 years. The bassist exited the group in 2011 after growing tired of touring.

In a Facebook post after the show, Nonpoint wrote, “This happened today. Our original bassist Ken MacMillan aka Bastard, aka Nekro for onstage at Welcome To Rockville joined us on stage to close out and play an even heavier version of ‘Bullet With A Name.’ A very special day indeed!”

See footage caught by IFM RAW below.

Nonpoint With Ken MacMillan, “Bullet With a Name” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Ice Nine Kills Give ‘Twisting the Knife’ a Live Debut With Different Singer

Ice Nine Kills have been killing it at radio lately with “Twisting the Knife,” their Scream 7 contribution featuring guest vocalist and actor Mckenna Grace. But when the band decided to take it to the stage at Welcome to Rockville for its live debut, they employed a special guest to handle the Grace’s parts.

Enter social media sensation MAPHRA, who joined Spencer Charnas and the band onstage at Welcome to Rockville over the weekend. Their Welcome to Rockville set also featured the live debut of “Hell or High Slaughter.”

Check out the 13-song setlist (per Setlist.fm) and BRigtrup Concerts’ footage from the performance below.

Ice Nine Kills 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist – (May 9, 2026 – Daytona Beach, Fla.)

1. “Meat & Greet”
2. “Wurst Vacation”
3. “Ex-Mortis”
4. “The Great Unknown”
5. “Funeral Derangements”
6. “The Laugh Track”
7. “The Shower Scene”
8. “Hell or High Slaughter” (Live debut)
9. “Welcome to Horrorwood”
10. “Hip to Be Scared”
11. “Twisting the Knife” (Live debut with special guest MAPHRA)
12. “The American Nightmare”
13. “A Work of Art”

Ice Nine Kills Featuring MAPHRA, “Twisting The Knife” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Poppy Interrupted at Welcome to Rockville

The 2026 edition of Welcome to Rockville was once again impacted by weather. Sadly, that meant an abbreviated performance for Poppy, who was interrupted halfway through the first song of her set.

The singer was performing “have you had enough” on Thursday (May 8) when about three-quarters of the way into the track, her mic was cut and a voice alerted fans to “take shelter” and monitor the festival’s social media for updates on when they could return.

Just ahead of the singer taking the stage, the video walls alongside the stage flashed a weather alert. Unfortunately, Poppy was unable to resume her set following the delay.

This proved to be the first of several delays throughout the weekend. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported a two-and-a-half-hour delay on Friday, a one-and-a-half-hour delay on Saturday and a three-hour delay on Sunday due to weather-related evacuations. The inclement weather forced plenty of schedule shifting, keeping fans and the bands on their toes.

Poppy Interrupted During “have you had enough” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

These are just some of the big things that happened at Welcome to Rockville 2026.

Get a better look at the massive crowds drawn in the festival’s 15th year below.

See other 2026 Rock and Metal Festivals and Cruises listed in the gallery below.